


Red Flowers

by Moonluster



Series: Moon's Pridecember: 2020! [2]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Flowers, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Angst w/a Happy Ending, Giving Flowers, M/M, Pridecember, Pridecember 2020, Prideshipping, Red (Color), Roses, Tumblr Prompt, Yu-Gi-Oh! Pridecember 2020, made up my own tag bc this is what this is lol, two dorks in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:47:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27885478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonluster/pseuds/Moonluster
Summary: Seto gets the idea to bring Atem flowers one day as he gets home from work, to thank him for all the love and support he gives him despite all his bullshit. Seto also realizes that he should pay more attention to his boyfriend from now on.
Relationships: Atem/Kaiba Seto, Kaiba Seto/Yami Yuugi | Atem
Series: Moon's Pridecember: 2020! [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2034748
Kudos: 17





	Red Flowers

Seto did something extremely uncanny. Call it the holiday “spirit” or whatever, but he’d done it. 

On the way home, he got the idea to get Atem some flowers. 

He put on his disguise that he usually donned when out in public and went into the downtown flower shop he’d seen going back and forth to work. Atem had said he’d gone in there a few times to give the flowers a sniff, saying that they were “the most gorgeous bouquets” he’d seen. 

So, he went in, realizing that the shop was a half an hour from closing--bad timing on his part--and, after about 10 minutes of browsing and dumb statements like, “I’m sure your wife or girlfriend would love this”, he decided to buy a rather extravagantly priced (at least, in his mind) bouquet that consisted mostly of red roses. He couldn’t be damned to know what the names of the other ones were, but he hoped Atem would like them. 

On the way home, he thought carefully about what he would say, because, as always, Atem would be waiting for him, ready to greet him with a hug and a kiss at the door--a ritual Seto never got tired of, though he wouldn’t admit it. 

It had been a rough couple of weeks, lately, and he’d been more neglectful of his time with said lover, which had left a small, hollow space between them. 

_ “I got you these...because...I thought they looked like something you’d like.”  _

_ No, that’s not quite it. Yes, Atem would like them but there has to be another reason.  _

_ “I got you these because...they remind me of the color of your eyes.”  _

_ No! That’s too cliche. _

_ “...I know that I haven’t given you what you need from me lately and I want to say sorry for it, so...here are some flowers for you.”  _

That was  _ closer _ , but still not quite right. 

He was now 10 minutes away and-- _ goddamnit _ \--he still couldn’t come up with a good reason. 

_ I’ll just say what I really think. _

Usually, he was the one being given to, and he knew he was selfish for it, so this would be wildly out of character and he knew Atem would question it. 

Seto resolved that he would deal with it when he got there...in 9 minutes. 

It was agony, but finally, he got home, and the warm, golden lights of his mansion greeted him as he exited the car, thanking his chauffeur as he got out and went around to obtain the bouquet. 

It was snowing, so he had to get them--and himself--inside, quickly. 

Seto didn’t know a whole lot about flowers, but one thing he DID know was that they couldn’t withstand cold temperatures for long.

As he approached the front doors, his heart and mind were in a scramble. 

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled; a last-ditch effort to calm himself. 

Aside from when he had confessed to Atem, he couldn’t say there was another time where he felt so worked up.

_ It’s not like you’re proposing _ , he told himself. 

Right. It wasn’t that big of a deal. Just a gift of overpriced flowers for the one man in his life who made him feel capable of anything. 

Well,  _ that  _ didn’t help. 

Huffing at himself in irritation, he gripped the doorknob and pushed it open, holding the flowers carefully in one arm as if it were an infant. He thought for a moment maybe he should do something corny like hiding them behind his back like a surprise. A by-product of Atem subjecting him to too many cheesy romance movies, he realized. 

Well, for once, Atem wasn’t around or even in the vicinity of the front door like he usually was. 

Seto’s heart dropped like a lead ball into his stomach and a sense of guilt and panic rushed through him. 

He went briefly through all the scenarios in his mind but decided that speculating wasn’t a good idea. Atem was an adult, after all. He could do whatever he wanted and he didn’t need to report to Seto about his whereabouts. 

It just stung a little bit, considering...everything. 

He made his way to the room where he, Mokuba, and Atem shared while they relaxed--or, more like, Atem and Mokuba relaxed while Seto stressed out about work and projects. 

Mokuba was there, and upon hearing Seto’s footsteps, he turned around--‘pausing’ in the middle of a game that he was playing and smiled, “Hey Seto! Whatcha got there?” 

Seto cleared his throat and shifted the bouquet in his arm, and his weight onto one leg, “they’re flowers. For Atem.” 

His eyes widened, “Ohh! They look super pretty! Too bad he isn’t here to see them right now.” 

“Where did he go? Did he say?” Seto hated how desperate he sounded. 

“He went to go gift shopping with Yuugi and the friend group. He’ll be back soon.” 

Mokuba turned away and resumed playing the game. 

“...I see.” Seto murmured to himself.

Unsure of what to do now, he placed the bouquet on the coffee table between the leather-fleece sofas and took a seat. 

He supposed there was nothing better to do now than wait. The time was 7:00 PM. 

7:15.    
  
7:30.

7:45. 

8:00.

8:15. 

8:30.

8:45

Seto, now propped up against the arm of the sofa with his legs extended across the length of it, felt that he might burst waiting for Atem to get home. It had only been almost two hours and yet it felt unbearable.

Is this how he felt when he stayed at work for unhealthy hours, long after Kaiba Corp closed for the day? 

At this realization, he cursed himself for all of the times he’d left Atem hanging. 

All the times he never even had the decency to call or text him about when he might be coming home. 

All the times he’d made promises he couldn’t fulfill, and the  _ sad, disappointed  _ look on Atem’s face every time it happened. 

He balled up his fist and punched the backrest of the sofa like a child--that was how he felt, anyway. Damn his stupidity and lack of concern! 

These feelings were intensified by the fact that he’d been neglecting Atem generally in the past two weeks or so. He was so determined to get this current project’s kinks all ironed out that he’d been ignoring all of Atem’s signals to get him away from it all and to spend some much-needed time together. 

This was an act of revenge on the universe’s part, and he deserved it. 

How unworthy he was to even  _ think  _ he deserved such a wonderful person’s affections and attention...when what he gave in return were misery and agony.

His thoughts were at once interrupted when he heard the front doors open, echoing in the foyer and carrying into the living room. 

Immediately he shot up off the sofa, and in a moment of hesitation, looked down at the bouquet just sitting there, and in a split-second decision, grabbed it. 

He made an effort to hide it behind his back, as he’d been taught by those movies he watched with Atem. 

He could do this, right? It wouldn’t make up for everything he’d done, but it would at least be a start. 

When he walked out into the foyer, he saw that Yuugi was also there in the doorway, helping Atem with packages and bags. He stopped briefly, hoping they wouldn’t notice him right away just standing there, waiting his turn to see his boyfriend. 

Yuugi did, though, and waved at Seto just before bidding his goodbye to Atem and walking out the door, closing it behind him. 

Atem turned around, all manners of items at his feet, and he greeted Seto warmly, “Hello, my dearest”. 

Seto didn’t feel he deserved to be called that right now but he gave a small grin anyway and approached Atem, heart racing. 

“What have you got behind your back?” Atem teased, and leaned to his side, and looked past Seto to try to get a peek at the surprise. 

“It’s...um...” Seto started, then took a deep breath, and presented the bouquet to Atem, averting his eyes despite wanting to see his reaction. 

He added, “they’re for you. I thought...you would like them.” 

“They’re beautiful, Seto...thank you.” 

Atem received them, the bouquet almost as big as his shoulders were wide. He held it close as he inhaled the scent of the flowers.

Seto watched it all with a slight warmth across his cheeks, and he fidgeted where he stood, heart in his throat. 

Atem looked back to him, cradling the flowers in his arms, “this is...unlike you, though. What’s the occasion?” 

Seto’s lips pursed and he balled his fists at his sides, face now burning with embarrassment and shame. 

Atem, seeing this, stepped toward Seto and placed a warm hand against his arm, “are you alright?” 

“...No,” Seto admitted in a voice barely above a whisper, screwing his eyes shut. 

Atem put the flowers gently on top of the other items on the floor, and threaded his arms through Seto’s, and brought him into an embrace. 

On Seto’s part, he let it happen. No fighting against it, no struggle to escape, or even a teasing admonishment. He wrapped his arms around Atem and brought him as close as he could without crushing him.

Atem began rubbing Seto’s back and he couldn’t help but shake at the sensation. There was so much he wanted to say...mostly, sorry. 

Sorry for being an inconsiderate jerk, sorry for neglecting him, sorry for being such an awful partner and lover, sorry for making him wait all these nights for him to return from whatever “important” things he was doing that were somehow more important than spending time with the man he considered so precious to him. 

“What’s wrong, my love?” Atem cooed, pulling back a little so he could see Seto’s face. 

Seto’s eyes were bleary with wetness and upon seeing Atem’s beautiful, concerned eyes, blurted out the first thing he wanted to say, “I’m sorry. For...everything.” 

“What are you talking about? What did you do?” 

Apparently, Atem either hadn’t noticed or he was playing dumb, and this made it all the more difficult for Seto to be vulnerable about this. 

He stroked both of Seto’s arms up and down softly, as if to coax the man into spilling his heart.

Seto took a deep breath and held it, trying desperately now not to cry openly in front of his lover, then breathed out, “I haven’t treated you right, recently. I’ve neglected you and didn’t once consider how you felt about my being gone all the time...for a  _ stupid  _ project.” 

Atem’s brow knitted as he heard this confession of fault, but hesitated to say anything until Seto was done saying everything he needed and wanted to say. 

Seto took the pause to just say it all. 

“I waited for you tonight, wondering when you would get home. Mokuba...he told me where you were and so I wasn’t worried, but...while I was waiting, I realized that you’d done that for me so many times. I could come home at midnight, and you would still be here, as exhausted as I was, yet never failing to greet me at the door.    
You wait and wait, and wait for me and I barely have the decency to tell you when I’m going to be home.    
You can literally have anyone you wanted, yet you chose me, an inconsiderate asshole who can’t even be bothered...for anything but himself.” 

“That’s enough. I won’t hear you talk about yourself like that,” Atem reprimanded Seto.

At once, Seto shut his mouth, pursing his lips. 

Atem sighed and shook his head, reaching up to embrace Seto and to bring him down for a soft yet searing kiss. 

Seto swallowed reflexively, also holding Atem by his upper back to bring him up toward him so there would be a chance at deepening the kiss. 

He smelled and tasted like peppermint hot chocolate. 

Once they parted, Atem brought a finger up to poke Seto’s nose gently, and told him in a voice just above a whisper, “I love you, and I forgive you. I know how important work is to you, and that’s why I let things happen the way they do. It comes first.” 

Seto protested, “but you’re important to me, too. I just...let you slide sometimes and I realize it was wrong. You deserve all the time I can give you. Let me make it up to you,  _ please _ .” 

The last words felt like a plea, but he couldn’t help it. He was utterly helpless in his feelings for Atem and while he tried to hide it a lot of the time, it sometimes slipped out--this was one of those times. 

He leaned down to kiss Atem again, which earned a hum of approval from him, and once they parted again he whispered hotly, “you can start by helping me get these packages all sorted out.” 

The sheer amount of juxtaposition between the tone and content of Atem’s words struck him dumb for a second.

Atem, seeing his boyfriend’s expression, laughed aloud. It echoed like music throughout the entire foyer. 

He stepped away from his boyfriend and bent over to pick up the flowers and a rather large gift bag that had a black sheen, “there’ll be plenty of time for you to make up for it tonight, I promise.” 

Atem’s wink sent a hot flush through Seto’s entire body, but he was determined to see the task through. 

The rest of the night was spent in happy company with one another as Seto assuaged his feelings by filling them with his lover’s smiles, laughter, and silliness. 

Later that night, the roses became an accessory to their bedroom, and Seto couldn’t have thought of a more perfect place for them. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! This is probably my favorite piece so far.


End file.
